11 Rafts, 23 Paddles, and 51 People...

Fun in the sun...priceless!

Let Summer Begin!

With a title like that, you have to know what's coming....Boating pictures! Saturday was the first family boating trip of the season. No adults got out of the boat, but the kids had a great time. Which is saying a lot, because we forgot sand toys. They dug holes and swam and then rode the tube, even though the water was FREEZING! We had a great, relaxing afternoon. I love the boat!

What a great weekend, and what fabulous women!

Traditions

Last night, I was blessed with the opportunity to help one of our Young Women cut out and sew a bonnet and skirt for her upcoming Pioneer Trek adventure. It was so awesome to see moms and their daughters working together on a project that is so innately female. I am grateful to my grandmother, who taught my mother to sew, who taught me to sew, so I can eventually pass down my very remedial sewing skills to my daughters. I can hardly wait until they are old enough to go on a Trek, and I can help them sew their pioneer clothing. Thanks, Mom!

Uncle Josh

A couple of weeks ago, when we were in Seattle, we went and had lunch with my brother and his wife. Uncle Josh was working in his yard, and all the kids went out to help him. He was impressed by their expertise...Seth was impressed by his power tools! Note the big pile of dandelions they pulled out and tried to bring inside as a bouquet. They were great about picking up all the yard debris and putting it in the bin. Josh is great with them, and my kids think he is AWESOME!

"Dairy Days"

Thursday was "Dairy Days" at the Clark County Fairgrounds. Hannah's class planned a field trip out there to see the farmers and cows and learn all about milk and dairy products. One of the parents from her class last year drives a milk truck by profession, so he brought the truck to school so the kids could see how the milk gets from the dairy to the store.

He showed them the hose he uses to get the milk from the milking house into the truck.

This is a farmer teaching the kids how they care for their cows. They learned about how they give them pills and shots and tag them to keep track of them.

This man works for Land O'Lakes. He is a cow nutritionist. He visits the dairies and helps the farmers design the best food for their cows. He showed the kids what kinds of things cows like to eat, and told them cows are great recyclers because they eat things that are left from when we process our own food.

This was the best part...ICE CREAM!

I Heart BYU

When we got to BYU for Women's Conference, we went to the new Hinckley Visitors' Center and booked us onto a guided tour of the campus. We always saw the carts going around, but had never ridden in one! Coleen kept saying, "I'm so excited! We're here for a Roommate Reunion! I'm giddy!" We felt like kids until the real kids in the Bookstore called us "Ma'am."

The J. Reuben Clark Law School with the famous "Y" in the background. Believe it or not, I never climbed up there!

The Brimhall building--Graphic Arts and Journalism in one of the oldest buildings on campus. Never went in there, either.

They were selling this mongo maple bar in the Marriott Center, called a "cougar tail" for $4.50! I opted to take a picture rather than buy one.

Me, Heather and Coleen at 6:45 am, singing in the Instant Choir. That means you get up REALLY early and practice for 2 hours to sing in the opening session of Women's Conference. This was one of the best weekends of my life!

Freshman Roommates, All Grown Up!

"I've heard it said, that people come into our lives

For a reason

Bringing something we must learn

And we are led to those who help us most to grow

If we let them

And we help them in return.

Well, I don't know if I believe that's true.

But I know I'm who I am today because I knew you."

"It well may be, that we may never meet again

In this lifetime

But let me say before we part

So much of me is made of what I learned from you

You'll be with me

Like a handprint on my heart.

And now whatever way our stories end,

Know you have rewritten mine by being my friend."